News Release

Roots of Kavanaugh’s Agenda

October 8, 2018

LYNN STUART PARRAMORE, lynn@lynnparramore.com, @lynnparramore
Lynn Stuart Parramore is a cultural historian and freelance writer who covers gender issues and the economy. She said today: “It is my view that on the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh will work to thwart the will of the American people, especially women.

“Hand-picked by the Federalist Society and backed by the Koch network, Kavanaugh is an emblem of the right-wing takeover of America outlined by historian Nancy MacLean in her 2017 book, Democracy in Chains. He is part of a movement, never stronger in America, to reorient the legal system away from the influence of ordinary citizens and towards the interests of corporations and the wealthy — a movement dedicated to lowering taxes for the rich and transferring critical public functions to the private market. [See her review of MacLean’s book: “Meet the Economist Behind the One Percent’s Stealth Takeover of America.”]

“On the Supreme Court, Kavanaugh can be expected to be a staunch defender of efforts to deregulate business, eliminate civil rights protections, and gut regulations for health and the environment. He is philosophically oriented to support the privatizing of government institutions like public schools and prisons and to attempt to do away with programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

“For women, Kavanaugh’s role on the Supreme Court has particularly devastating potential. His hostility to Roe v. Wade and reproductive freedom; his hostility to workers making discrimination and harassment claims; and his opposition to the social safety net upon women disproportionately depend make him a threat to women’s health, dignity, and economic security. He is poised to be a foe of the public sector, a vital source of women’s employment, as well as critical services like publicly subsidized daycare. Kavanaugh poses a serious threat to women in their dual roles as wage earners and caregivers.”